Pollution control system

ABSTRACT

A pollution control system in which continuous-wave radiofrequency generator is coupled to a radio-frequency power amplifier. The power amplifier is electrically coupled to an inductor surrounding a crucible made of sintered metal compounds or alloyed metals. The crucible is resistive to radio frequency currents and converts the electrical energy of the inductor into heat for converting matter within the crucible.

United States Patent Gallo [54] POLLUTION CONTROL SYSTEM [72] Inventor:Carl Gallo, Scarsdale, NY.

[73] Assignee: American Pollution Control Corporation, Scarsdale, N.Y.

22] Filed: March 23,1971

21 Appl.No.: 127,171

[ Oct. 24, 1972 Primary Examiner-Kenneth W. Sprague AttorneySparrow andSparrow [57] ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl. ..110/8 E, 110/9 E A P on ntrolsystem inwhich continuous-wave [51] Int. Cl ..F23g 5/10 radio-frequencygenerator is coupled to a radio- [58] Field oiSearch....l10/8 R, s E, 18R, 18 E, 9R, frequency Power amplifier The Power amplifier is 0/9 Eelectrically coupled to an inductor surrounding a crucible made ofsintered metal compounds or alloyed f metals. The crucible is resistiveto radio frequency [56] Re erences Cl currents and converts theelectrical energy of the in- UNITED STATES PATENTS ductor into heat forconverting matter within the crucible. 2,279,578 4/1942 Martin ..110/92,932,713 4/ 1960 Powers ..1 10/8 X 2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures a? 2:arc/144m? F/L rs? AME/FIE? jg 3 552i,

P0 SIP 5/125; 6 .Sl/PZLY 5 r5 504/7190.- an: row/Pa: zz fizz 665322500mmc/Aru/r 4 I a r 7 w npry 501/0 Ill/MAN 0 A, f /553% 0521i? figf anti-P: r01? PATENTEDncI 24 I972 JO/MFDI/AIVD apnmwh INVENTOR.

' (A/PL 6/4440 Arranvsx;

POLLUTION CONTROL SYSTEM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Raw human waste isa principal pollutant. Among the contents of raw human waste are: l)undigested material such as meat ligaments; 2) undigested fats andstarch; 3) materials which cannot be digested; 4) bacteriologicaldecomposition waste products; 5) mucus and cells discarded by theintestinal tract; 6) bile and other pigments; 7) trace elements ofinorganic salts of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron; 8)bacteria; 9) gases which arise mainly from bacterial action; 10) water;and 11) urine.

It has been established that over95 percent of all human waste iscomposed of organic matter and water. Further, organic matter includingdangerous deadly bacteria can be reduced to their inorganic elements,which are readily soluble in water, by the application of heat. Thehigher the temperature, the shorter the reduction time. The watercontent may be driven off in the form of steam.

The present system of treating sewage was developed approximately 100years ago, and it has changed little over the past century. In theconventional sewage treating system, solid human waste and urine aremixed with drinking water at the toilet bowl, and the resultant mixtureis passed thru an elaborate and complex piping network to its finaldestinationthe central disposal system. There, the sewage is sent intolarge settling tanks where the solid human waste sinks to the bottom ofthe tank and the liquid rises to the top. The liquid waste is thenpumped into the local waterway. The remaining solid human waste, oftencalled black sludge, is usually allowed to remain in the tank fortreatment. This treatment process is slow and complex. Friendlymicrobe-organisms in the solid human waste break down the solid until asafe level has been attained. At that point, the black sludge, is pumpedinto the local waterway to mix with other waste.

Any sewage disposal system of this conventional design is limited by therate of flow, volume capacity of the system, and the time cycle of thetreatment. When the capacity of the system has been reached, theoverflow of raw human waste is bypassed around the sewage disposalsystem and pumped into the already overburdened local waterway. Duringthe same time interval, and in areas where the water is non-saline, someof the polluted water is pumped back into water purification plants,where the water is treated at considerable expense. The treated water isthen passed thru the same cycle to be polluted again.

The time cycle for sewage treatment, from a practical point of view,varies sharply, and is in general inversely related to populationdensity. Thus, in larger cities, sewage receives little or no treatmentfor the following reasons: 1) The conventional system is inefficient,since too many operations are required to achieve the end result; 2)Sewage disposal systems which service large cities are completely unableto process the enormous volume of sewage which must be safely disposedof each day; 3) There is no way to dispose of the higluy toxic blacksludge any longer, by virtue of bacteriological content. Substantiallyall of the inland and peripheral ocean areas of the United States,Europe, and Asia, and other continental areas have been considerablycontaminated through the use of the conventional disposal system, or thelack of any system at all; 4) The conventional system is destructive tothe ecology, and cannot be indefinitely maintained.

The human body is composed mainly of water, and for this reason, it isimportant to examine closely the drinking water. Such an examinationreveals that the source of water at the watersheds (when available) isrelatively pure. However, as the water passes through the distributionsystem, it becomes increasingly impure because it is mixed with pollutedwater and chemical agents, in an attempt to control the pollution level.By the time that the water reaches the spigot, it is no longer potablewater but is, instead, a chemical solution composed mainly of water,chlorine, complex chemical and biological substances, living bacteria,and organic and inorganic salts. The composition will vary, particularlyin areas which have no watershed. In any case, it is polluted waterwhich flows from the spigot, and

generally, the closer to the city, the higher the degree of toxicity ofpollution.

Polluted drinking water carries every known germ, virus, and chemicalagent capable of causing illness of varying types and degrees, or death,to the user. For example, the bacteria of arnebic dysentery are alwayspresent in polluted water. These are present in the form of the cysts ofthe Entameba histolytica which will live in water up to several weeks.Chlorination of water will sterilize it, from the viewpoint of bacteria.However, it takes 100 times as much chlorine to kill the cysts of theEntameba histolytica (amebic dysentery), as it does to kill bacteria inwater. In fact, the addition of this quantity of chlorine would make thewater unfit for drinking. Consequently, whenever water is contaminatedwith Entameba histolytica, the only way to make such water safe is toboil it. Since this is not feasible for any city water supply, thesolution to the problem resides in preventing the pollution of water inthe first place.

Commercial waste is also a very significant contributor to environmentalpollution. The packaging of food is an important factor in theproduction of commercial waste, and results from the following; 1) Rapidpopulation growth; 2) The accompanying growth of the supermarket methodof food sale and distribution; 3) The need for standard packaging,whether by weight or volume to reduce the cost of distribution; 4)Sanitary and health considerations which demand that the handling offood be kept to a minimum; 5) The benefits of mass purchasing anddistribution which are passed on to the consumer in the form of lowerprices and increased convenience; 6) A wider variety of foods and goodsare made available to the consumer through packaging methods.

Such packaging of food is, however, accomplished not withoutconsiderable cost. For example, a chain of 480 supermarkets spent inexcess of $750,000 during 1970 for on-site incineration of cartons,wrappings, and spoiled foods. Each of the supermarkets in the survey hadits own on-site incineration unit. The waste is usually packed up andburnt towards evening. As a result, food is contributed towards the ratpopulation during the day and air pollution is obtained at night.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide apollution control system for the treatment of commercial waste. It isalso an object of the present invention to reduce raw human waste fromits organic state to an inert inorganic state. It is further an objectof the present invention that the raw human waste be converted at thesource, or the toilet bowl. It is a specific SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONWith the arrangement of the present invention, the raw human waste isreduced from its organic state to aninert, inorganic state at the toiletbowl. A heat-producing crucible is contained within the toilet bowl.Upon activation of the pollution control system of the presentinvention, a controlled burst of high energy is generated at thecrucible in the form of heat. The heat reduces effectively the raw humanwaste from its organic state to an inert inorganic state. The residue isa small fraction of the original mass and is readily dissolved in waterduring the flushing cycle. The residue can then be passed to the sewerdrain after flushing.

The pollution control system of the present invention will operate withthe separate water tank as used in most private homes, and also withflow meter systems which are generally used in apartment dwellings. Thepollution control system furthermore, will operate in boats, aircraft,ocean-going steam and motor vessels, and in submarines. Whereas 5gallons of drinking water are generally needed to flush the conventionaltoilet, the pollution control system of the present invention requiresapproximately only 1 gallon for flushing. The output of the conventionaltoilet is raw human waste which must be treated, whereas the output ofthe pollution control system of the present invention is mostly watercontaining traces of inorganic slats which are harmless and require nofurther treatment. A federal law now requires that all private andpleasure boats possess pollution control systems before such vessels maybe operated.

In the treatment of commercial waste, the waste materials are compacted,on-site to a fraction (-15 percent), of the original mass. The resultantcompactedmass which may be rectangular shape, is mostly organic and isrelatively small and manageable. The compacted mass is then reinsertedinto a crucible of the pollution control system of the present inventionand is reduced to a small fraction of its original mass, through the application of intense heat.

The pollution control system of the present invention for the treatmentof commercial waste is continuous, and there is no accumulation of wasteto be burned at the end of the day. As a result, health hazards arereduced by eliminating a major source of food for rats. The incinerationcosts to the supermarket are thereby reduced and the economy may bepassed on to the consumer in the form of savings. The individualsupermarket, moreover, can thus have more working space, since the wasteis compacted and reduced immediately.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the following description and inthe claims; parts will be identified by specific names for convenience,but such names are intended to be as generic in their application tosimilar parts as the art will permit. Like reference characters denotelike parts in the several figures of the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a pollution control arrangement forprocessing of raw human waste, in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of another embodiment of FIG. 1 for processingcommercial waste.

FIG. 3 is an electrical schematic diagram of the electromagnetic circuitfor converting electromagnetic energy into heat for decomposition ofwaste, in accordance with the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring tothe drawings and inparticular to FIG. 1, an Oscillator 1 is provided with power from a lowvoltage Power Supply 6. The outputof the Oscillator l is applied to aFilter Network 2 for the purpose of eliminating harmonics from theoutput signal of the Oscillator, which may interfere with television andradio reception. A Power Amplifier 3 connected to the output of theFilter 2 may be in the form of power transistors or ceramic tetrodes.The Power Amplifier 3 is fed from the Power Supply 7, and supplies anamplified oscillating signal to a tank coupling Network 4. The output ofthe Network 4 is applied to an Inductor 5 on the crucible in which thesubstance to be converted through heat is contained. A gated ControlCircuit 9 determines the time instant at which the Amplifier 3 suppliesenergy to the Network 4 and hence Crucible Inductor 5. The ControlCircuit 9 may be in the form of a transistor or thyratron type ofdevice. The gated Control Circuit 9, furthermore, is actuated by aControl Pulse Generator 8, which transmits a pulse of predeterminedwidth or duration. A Safety Interlock Switch '10 prevents the systemfrom operating if the seat cover associated with thetoilet bowl is notclosed. A temperature Sensor 11 measures the crucible temperature, andinhibits an output pulse signal from the gate Control Circuit 9 when thecrucible temperature exceeds a predetermined limit. When the crucibletemperature drops below this predetermined limit, the system recyclesautomatically. A Urine Detector 12 measures the level of acidity of thebowl contents to determine whether the system operates on liquid wasteonly, and actuates the Gate Control Circuit 9 accordingly. The quantityof hydrogen sulphide gas which may be present and which accompaniessolid human waste, is detected by the solid human waste detector. AnOzone Generator 14 serves as an air purifier and fan. Auxiliary ControlCircuits l5 operate electrically controlled water valves at thebeginning, and the crucible wash and vent processes.

In operation of the pollution control system, in accordance with withpresent invention, the seat cover of the toilet bowl is closed after thedeposition of human waste therein. The closure of the seat cover, closesthe Interlock Switch 10. The Sensors 12 and 13, thereafter, determinewhether the waste is composed of urine or raw human waste which containsboth urine and solid human waste. If only urine is present, it is heatedto a point sufficient to destroy bacteria and uric acid. After the urinehas been thus heated, an electrically operated valve is activated toallow the resultant liquid to flow down the drain.

When the Sensor 13 detects the presence of solid human waste, a shorttime is allowed for the solid human waste to settle and to separate fromthe urine. The urine is drawn off mechanically to be treated separately.After the settling of the solid human waste, the Gated Control Circuit 9applies electrical signals to the Power Supplies 6 and 7 for the purposeof transmitting an amplified Power burst of energy from the Oscillator 1to the crucible Inductor 5. With the Inductor Coil 5 energized in thismanner, the contents of the crucible are converted to inorganic matter.Timing circuits within the Control Devices allow the crucible to coolafter which electrically operated valves are opened to allow the waterto flush the crucible and transfer the contents of the crucible to thedrain. The liquid products are treated separately at lower temperaturesand in a separate operation to prevent the generation of excessive steamwhich would have to be cooled and condensed. A stainless steel sleevemay be inserted into the crucible, in view of the presence of corrosivegases and chemicals during the first cycle.

The arrangement of FIG. 2 is adapted to the treatment of commercialwaste. In this embodiment, an electrical Oscillator 101 transmits anoscillatory signal to a filter 102 which filters out harmonics which maycause television and radio interference. A Buffer Amplifier 103 isconnected in series with a Power Amplifier 104 for the purpose ofamplifying the oscillatory signals, and to transmit it to a TankCoupling Network 105. The Network 105 is, in turn, connected to aCrucible Inductor 106 which converts the electrical power into heat forconversion of the waste present within the crucible. A low voltage PowerSupply 107 feeds the Oscillator 101, whereas a high voltage Power Supply109 supplies energy to the Power Amplifier 104. A Gate Control Circuit 111 transmits actuating signals to the Power Supply 107 and 109. The Gate111 is, in turn, operated by signals from the Control Pulse Generator110. The Gate Circuit 111 may be in the form of a thyratron type ofdevice or solid state transistor A System Interlock Switch 112 insuresthat the system will not operate unless access doors to the crucible areclosed. A Temperature Sensor 113 measures the crucible temperature andinhibits the transmission of pulses from the Gate 111 when the temperature exceeds a predetermined level. Auxiliary Control Circuits 114 serveto prevent opening of the access doors of the crucible until thetemperature therein has dropped to a predetermined safe level, inpreparation for the next loading cycle.

In operation of the system of FIG. 2 the compacted mass of waste isinserted into the crucible through the access doors thereof. Uponclosing of the access doors, the safety Interlock Switch 112 alsobecomes closed. After a suitable time delay which allows the compactedmass to set in the crucible, the Gate 111 is actuated. The actuation ofthe Gate, in turn, transmits signalto the Power Supply 107 and 109 andhence to the Oscillator 1, and Amplifiers 103 and 104. After filteringthe signal from the Oscillator, within the Filter Network 102, thefilter signal is amplified and transmitted to the Crucible Inductor 106,via the tank Network 105. The amplified signal is there converted into aburst of heat energy to convert the contents of the crucible. Thecontents of the crucible are raised to a sufiiciently high temperatureso that all organic matter is broken down to steam vapor, and gaseswhich are vented out. The

residual contents are composed of molten glass, combined with moltenmetal depending on the original contents of the compacted mass. Themolten slag mixture isallowed to flow out of the crucible during andafter the heat burst cycle. The slag is allowed to flow into a suitablemold receptacle, where the slag is allowed to cool and may beperiodically removed. The slag is a by-product which may be used in theconstruction field as well as for land fill. The residue compositionvaries as a function of the original contents of the compacted mass.Should this mass be completely organic, substantially no solid residueswill prevail.

FIG. 3 shows the details of the electrical circuitry for accomplishingthe heating of the crucible. The radio frequency signal from the poweramplifier is applied to a Coupling Capacitor which is connected to theCrucible Inductor Coil 121. From this junction on the Inductor Coil 121high frequency currents flow to ground potential. The electromagneticfield generated thereby produces induced radio frequency voltage thruthe inductor, and the electrostatic tuned Loop Element 4. This L-CCircuit is tuned to operating frequency of the Oscillator. A ResonatingCapacitor 124 is connected in series with the Loop 123. The electromagnetic energy from the Coil 121 is converted into heat through theelectrical resistance inherent in the crucible. The crucible itself maybe made of sintered metal compounds in which the principal ingredient issintered iron powder mixed with suitable binding agents molded underhigh pressure to the required shape and then heated to drive off organicmatter.

Raw human waste may be treated in two heat cycles in sequence. The firstheat cycle is at relatively lower temperature and drives off the water.The second heat energy burst is at substantially higher temperature andreduces the remaining organic residue to inorganic salts which aredissolved and flushed subsequently. The drainage contains no organicmatter after this procedure. To facilitate cleaning and maintenance, theheat crucible may have a fraction-fitted receptacle made of the samealloyed metal as the heat crucible. This receptacle may then be removedfor purposes of cleaning and maintenance. A battery supply may beprovided to assure operation even in the event of power failure, from autility supply.

Pollution Control Systems, according to the invention herein described,uses a variable time width pulse controlled, Continuous Wave RadioFrequency Generator, which is coupled to a shunt fed Radio FrequencyPower Amplifier, the frequency range of both, in combination, beingsubstantially from 50 KHz through 30 mega Hz. The-signal from theOscillator may be continuous wave, single side band, double side band,also tone modulated. The output of the RF Power Amplifier iselectrically coupled to an inductor, which may be tuned to the operatingfrequency, or not, as need demands. The inductor in turn surrounds acrucible, which is made of sintered metal compounds, or alloy metals.These crucibles are inherently resistive to the flow of Radio Frequencycurrents, which are induced in them by virtue of the tuned, or untunedinductors, which surround them. The crucibles are an electricallyintegral part of the overall circuit.

The overall results of the invention, are that Radio Frequency energy isconverted to heat energy, at the crucible, and that the time lengths ofthe heat cycle, and temperature levels of the crucible, are predictable,controllable and safe.

While the invention has been described, and illustrated with respect tocertain preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled inthe art after understanding the principle of the invention, that variousother changes and modifications may be made without departing from thespirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A pollution control method for decomposing waste in a ferromagneticcrucible, said crucible being linked to an electromagnetic field and anelectrostatic field generated by a conductive loop with series-conncctedcapacitor, said loop and said capacitor forming a tuned L-C circuit,comprising the steps of collecting waste to be decomposed in saidcrucible, registering the time instant at which said waste is in readystate for decomposition and conversion; applying radio frequency tunedto said L-C circuit to said loop to maintain said electromagnetic field;converting said electromagnetic energy into heat at said crucible andheating said crucible for decomposing the contents of said crucible;venting gases from said crucible resulting from said heating step; andremoving solid residue from said crucible.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 including the step of compactingsaid waste prior to collecting in said crucible.

1. A pollution control method for decomposing waste in a ferromagneticcrucible, said crucible being linked to an electromagnetic field and anelectrostatic field generated by a conductive loop with series-connectedcapacitor, said loop and said capacitor forming a tuned L-C circuit,comprising the steps of collecting waste to be decomposed in saidcrucible, registering the time instant at which said waste is in readystate for decomposition and conversion; applying radio frequency tunedto said L-C circuit to said loop to maintain said electromagnetic field;converting said electromagnetic energy into heat at said crucible andheating said crucible for decomposing the contents of said crucible;venting gases from said crucible resulting from said heating step; andremoving solid residue from said crucible.
 2. The method as defined inclaim 1 including the step of compacting said waste prior to collectingin said crucible.